Published: Sunday, February 9, 2014 at 11:40 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, February 9, 2014 at 11:40 p.m.

“Each of us today, we have a purpose that comes from God,” said Jackson, using his hands and vocal inflections to drive home his point to a group of six attending his Bible study on a recent Friday evening.

“He’s wonderful and he lives what he preaches,” said Souls Harbor parishioner Sue Ford of Belleview after the 50-minute session. “He’s a very good example, very inspirational.”

This is Jackson’s life. The Belleview resident and full-time preaching evangelist travels the country and the world to attend speaking engagements, carry out his duties as a campus ministry coordinator for the Florida district of the United Pentecostal Church International, and highlight his recently self-published book, “The Book of Job: Tools in the Midst of Trials.”

The book can be purchased from both the Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites and at Jackson’s speaking engagements. So far he has sold more than 150 copies.

“It’s like living by faith, that’s your occupation,” he said.

Jackson’s age helps him connect with a younger generation and helps introduce them to God. “There’s a lot of young people that want to do something for God, but they don’t know what,” said Jackson, 23.

Jackson might look in his element with a Bible in hand, but not long ago his future revolved around a dream of playing in the NBA, which he gave up in college after he said he heard the audible voice of God tell him to follow another path.

But before changing career paths, Jackon’s NBA dream had traction, aided by a full ride basketball scholarship to the College of Central Florida, a designation as team co-captain and a 46-inch vertical leap.

“My goal is I’m going to the NBA, that’s my dream, that’s what’s going to happen,” said Jackson, thinking his future was a slam dunk. The Louisiana native arrived on the CF campus for the first time in August 2008 only to be greeted by fallen tree limbs and other debris from Tropical Storm Fay.

He started playing basketball with his teammates about six days a week, but realized something was missing.

Jackson recalls feeling emptiness inside, a void, while he struggled to determine his purpose in life. “Why am I here?” he kept thinking.

He wandered into a Bible study on campus in March 2009 during his second semester. The group discussed Pentecostalism and receiving the Holy Ghost inside. The conversation piqued Jackson’s curiosity. “I was pricked in my heart, I wanted to know more,” he said. “I wasn’t satisfied by where I was.”

After that he started attending services at Souls Harbor First Pentecostal Church, and from the first service with Bishop James Varnam he was hooked.

“I spoke in tongues for the first time; I received the Holy Ghost,” Jackson recalled. “And I’m telling you I felt my life just completely begin to change.”

Jackson said the stories of the Bible started jumping off the page and he could understand them better than he ever had before.

“He’s always been an asset here to Souls Harbor, even when he first came,” said Roland Williams Jr., a Bible study teacher and minister-in-training at Souls Harbor.

Jackson started leading a Bible study in his dorm room that became popular with students. “People started seeing a change happening in me, a change in my language, a change in my dress, a change in how I presented myself,” Jackson remembered.

In summer 2009, while attending the North American Youth Congress in Nashville, Tenn., Jackson says he felt a call from God telling him to pursue a career in the ministries.

Then, during a Bible study, he encountered a young woman who wouldn’t open up about her struggles. “I heard the audible voice of God tell me what she was going through,” Jackson said. A few days later he said he heard that same voice again. “His audible voice says, ‘Give up basketball, you’re done, I’m opening up different doors for you.’ ”

He recalled breaking the news to his basketball coach. “We were No. 1 in the nation for the first time in school history and your captain is sitting you down and telling you God’s telling him to give up basketball,” said Jackson.

Years later, coach Tim Ryan has nothing but positive things to say about his former player and still remembers their first meeting, where Jackson asked him a question he hadn’t heard before.

“He wanted to know if there were churches near the school that he could go to,” Ryan said.

Jackson graduated with an associate degree in May 2010 and after a period of transition, started receiving calls to preach, a door he believes God opened for him.

In 2013 he preached three times in Canada, once each in Alaska and Mississippi, and in 30 different churches across Florida, from Miami to Tallahassee to Panama City. This year he has already traveled to Columbus, Ohio. He says every weekend he is preaching somewhere in Florida.

To spread his words even further, he published his first book.

“This book is one of the many sources of where I can minister effectively even on a broader scale,” he said.

“I recommend this book to anyone who is ever going through something,” Jackson said. “Anyone who has ever gone through hurts, anyone who has gone through trials.”

Someone who hears Jackson’s words more often than most is his wife, Luisa, 21, to whom the book is dedicated.

The pair met briefly on Feb. 18, 2011, at a religious event in Fort Lauderdale. A year and a half later, Jackson said he felt God impress upon him he would be married soon and Jackson visualized Luisa, whose name he had long forgotten.

When he tried to pursue her, his efforts were unsuccessful. “I rejected him,” said Luisa with a laugh.

The couple started courting on June 12, 2012. On Aug. 24, 2012, Jackson proposed during a card game of UNO, where he instructed her to select four cards, each with a word: Will/You/Marry/Me?

<p>BELLEVIEW -- Victor Jackson paced back and forth inside a small conference room tucked away inside Souls Harbor First Pentecostal Church.</p><p>“Each of us today, we have a purpose that comes from God,” said Jackson, using his hands and vocal inflections to drive home his point to a group of six attending his Bible study on a recent Friday evening.</p><p>“He's wonderful and he lives what he preaches,” said Souls Harbor parishioner Sue Ford of Belleview after the 50-minute session. “He's a very good example, very inspirational.”</p><p>This is Jackson's life. The Belleview resident and full-time preaching evangelist travels the country and the world to attend speaking engagements, carry out his duties as a campus ministry coordinator for the Florida district of the United Pentecostal Church International, and highlight his recently self-published book, “The Book of Job: Tools in the Midst of Trials.”</p><p>The book can be purchased from both the Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites and at Jackson's speaking engagements. So far he has sold more than 150 copies.</p><p>“It's like living by faith, that's your occupation,” he said.</p><p>Jackson's age helps him connect with a younger generation and helps introduce them to God. “There's a lot of young people that want to do something for God, but they don't know what,” said Jackson, 23.</p><p>Jackson might look in his element with a Bible in hand, but not long ago his future revolved around a dream of playing in the NBA, which he gave up in college after he said he heard the audible voice of God tell him to follow another path.</p><p>But before changing career paths, Jackon's NBA dream had traction, aided by a full ride basketball scholarship to the College of Central Florida, a designation as team co-captain and a 46-inch vertical leap.</p><p>“My goal is I'm going to the NBA, that's my dream, that's what's going to happen,” said Jackson, thinking his future was a slam dunk. The Louisiana native arrived on the CF campus for the first time in August 2008 only to be greeted by fallen tree limbs and other debris from Tropical Storm Fay.</p><p>He started playing basketball with his teammates about six days a week, but realized something was missing.</p><p>Jackson recalls feeling emptiness inside, a void, while he struggled to determine his purpose in life. “Why am I here?” he kept thinking.</p><p>He wandered into a Bible study on campus in March 2009 during his second semester. The group discussed Pentecostalism and receiving the Holy Ghost inside. The conversation piqued Jackson's curiosity. “I was pricked in my heart, I wanted to know more,” he said. “I wasn't satisfied by where I was.”</p><p>After that he started attending services at Souls Harbor First Pentecostal Church, and from the first service with Bishop James Varnam he was hooked.</p><p>“I spoke in tongues for the first time; I received the Holy Ghost,” Jackson recalled. “And I'm telling you I felt my life just completely begin to change.”</p><p>Jackson said the stories of the Bible started jumping off the page and he could understand them better than he ever had before.</p><p>“He's always been an asset here to Souls Harbor, even when he first came,” said Roland Williams Jr., a Bible study teacher and minister-in-training at Souls Harbor.</p><p>Jackson started leading a Bible study in his dorm room that became popular with students. “People started seeing a change happening in me, a change in my language, a change in my dress, a change in how I presented myself,” Jackson remembered.</p><p>In summer 2009, while attending the North American Youth Congress in Nashville, Tenn., Jackson says he felt a call from God telling him to pursue a career in the ministries.</p><p>Then, during a Bible study, he encountered a young woman who wouldn't open up about her struggles. “I heard the audible voice of God tell me what she was going through,” Jackson said. A few days later he said he heard that same voice again. “His audible voice says, 'Give up basketball, you're done, I'm opening up different doors for you.' ”</p><p>He recalled breaking the news to his basketball coach. “We were No. 1 in the nation for the first time in school history and your captain is sitting you down and telling you God's telling him to give up basketball,” said Jackson.</p><p>Years later, coach Tim Ryan has nothing but positive things to say about his former player and still remembers their first meeting, where Jackson asked him a question he hadn't heard before.</p><p>“He wanted to know if there were churches near the school that he could go to,” Ryan said.</p><p>Jackson graduated with an associate degree in May 2010 and after a period of transition, started receiving calls to preach, a door he believes God opened for him.</p><p>In 2013 he preached three times in Canada, once each in Alaska and Mississippi, and in 30 different churches across Florida, from Miami to Tallahassee to Panama City. This year he has already traveled to Columbus, Ohio. He says every weekend he is preaching somewhere in Florida.</p><p>To spread his words even further, he published his first book.</p><p>“This book is one of the many sources of where I can minister effectively even on a broader scale,” he said.</p><p>“I recommend this book to anyone who is ever going through something,” Jackson said. “Anyone who has ever gone through hurts, anyone who has gone through trials.”</p><p>Someone who hears Jackson's words more often than most is his wife, Luisa, 21, to whom the book is dedicated.</p><p>The pair met briefly on Feb. 18, 2011, at a religious event in Fort Lauderdale. A year and a half later, Jackson said he felt God impress upon him he would be married soon and Jackson visualized Luisa, whose name he had long forgotten.</p><p>When he tried to pursue her, his efforts were unsuccessful. “I rejected him,” said Luisa with a laugh.</p><p>The couple started courting on June 12, 2012. On Aug. 24, 2012, Jackson proposed during a card game of UNO, where he instructed her to select four cards, each with a word: Will/You/Marry/Me?</p><p>The pair married on Nov. 17, 2012.</p><p>The couple hopes to travel for years to continue engaging with parishioners and fulfilling God's purpose. “That's our plan: continue evangelizing, continue birthing campus ministries,” said Victor Jackson. “Watching people's lives change.”</p><p><i>Contact April Warren at 867-4065 or april.warren@ocala.com. Follow her on Twitter @ajtwarren.</i></p>